Camel cigarette promotion.

Winston-Salem (MCT) - RJ Reynolds Tobacco company launched another marketing campaign for cigarettes Camel, this time with the iconic mascot of nine fashion trends visit the U.S. before coming home, Winston-Salem.


As expected, the campaign has attracted the wrath of the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which in the past accused Reynolds trying to appeal to young people in their advertising, as well as health workers in at least one of the cities.


The campaign has also been criticized for the use of well-known images of the 10 areas for Camel logo. 




Reynolds plans to begin distribution of packets with images at the national level in December and January.

10-week contest asks participants to guess where the visiting mascot, with prizes for the winners. Among the identified destinations are Las Vegas, Austin, Texas, and the Williamsburg area of ​​Brooklyn.

Common themes for directions are independent or "indie" rock music and the freedom of the road.

Winston-Salem has a package of tobacco fields in the foreground and the city in the background, the former headquarters of RJ Reynolds stress.

The text reads: "The beginning of it all. About 100 years ago, Camel stuck its stake in the ground and forever changed the sleepy Southern town of Winston-Salem is the place of birth, place of work, place, and the collapse of the party platform. This is the place where the decay of free travel stops but never ends. "

"We chose these areas because they are places that are a unique cultural and entertainment popular with adults," spokesman David Howard.

Matthew Myers, president of the anti-smoking group compared to the competition of the past campaign, Reynolds disputed, such as Joe Camel and Camel № 9.

"The new campaign cynically uses the names and photos of fashion trends in the U.S. ... an attempt to make Camel cigarettes cool again," Myers said.

"It is deeply concerned that RJR is using the good name and hard-earned reputation of these great American cities to market deadly and addictive cigarettes, especially in a way that roughly refers to the children."

Myers urged Reynolds to stop the campaign immediately. He suggested that the state attorneys general to investigate it to see if it violates the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.

In December 2007, Reynolds voluntarily stopped marketing campaign for Camel campaign aimed at adult listeners of independent rock music.

This decision was taken on the day after Reynolds was sued by nine state attorneys general - not including North Carolina - for the advertising of cigarettes Camel, which ran in the magazine Rolling Stone. The magazine ran a four-page Camel ad bookends to five pages of the independent "or indie" rock music, which was a cartoon image.

Howard said that any accusations Reynolds appeals to young people with the campaign "untrue and unfounded." He cited the age restricted website and directions, which include Seattle, San Francisco, Sturgis, SD, place the annual meeting of motorcycles, Route 66 and the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

"We have no reason to depart from this action, because the promotion clearly aimed at adult consumers of tobacco," he said.